When is ‘Over There’ here?

The strategy of “we fight over there so we don’t have to fight here” is a historically repeated tenet of American defense policy, recently embodied in the so-called “Bush Doctrine” and conceptually continuing with every drone attack, each poppy field sprayed, conflict zone police officer trained and Antiretroviral drug our government helps distribute to AIDS-plagued . . . Read More

The Top Security Stories of 2011: The Impact of Technology

2011 has been an extraordinary year for security. From regime change to nuclear disaster; from acts of cowardice, violence & anger to acts of bravery and remembrance; and from justice delivered in and out of court, the new events and consequences of past ones that have played out in 2011 have dominated the headlines and . . . Read More

Emerging Security Technology: Take It To The Limit One More Time

The number one requirement of security technology is that it works. As new threats, challenges and funding foster the creative innovation of products and systems to protect lives and assets, the competitive race to the “leading edge” can sometimes be described as the “bleeding edge” — where conceptual promise does not equal actual result.  This . . . Read More

Mobile Data: Are You a Moving Target?

The emergence of smart phones, tablets and other mobile data devices into all aspects of our personal, business and government lives continues at breakneck pace. In prior messages I have touched on how the capability, efficiency and convenience enabled by these devices in certain instances can create or facilitate security and privacy threats, risks and . . . Read More

Witnesses, Watchdogs and Whistleblowers: Keeping Us Honest, Keeping Them Safe

Whether motivated by justice, disgust, revenge, self-preservation or some combination of each, individuals who make wrongdoing known and detail it do so in ways that can significantly impact their lives and livelihoods. How your organization incents and interacts with such individuals can play a major role in whether otherwise undetectable cancers that may be growing . . . Read More

Outsourcing: Does What You Have In-House Get You Home?

Whether your teammates are in your building or a hemisphere away, within or adjacent to your chain of command, your organization’s activities are likely to be increasingly conducted by people that you do not employ. Whether these people are more or less likely to steal, defraud, breach confidentiality, embarrass or otherwise make your organization more . . . Read More

Protests and Security: Rights, Risks & Tools

From Tottenham to Tahrir Square and Athens to Zuccotti Park, 2011 has been remarkable for the volume and intensity of public protest. How governments and private organizations provide security for those participating in and effected by protests can make a tremendous difference in who is killed, who is injured and what gets damaged and disrupted. . . . Read More

Secrets: What They Do Know Can Hurt You

The old saw is that the “best way to keep a secret is to not tell anyone”. As the proverbial “anyone” continues its historic evolution from human ears and eyes to phone conversations, emails, texts, tweets, posts and other emerging technologies that digitally store what you say, write or access, and surveillance and forensic technologies . . . Read More

Social Networks: Friend or Foe?

Do social networks increase or decrease the security of individuals? companies? governments? There are four fundamental questions to address for Social Network Information: What information is being intentionally and unintentionally conveyed? Who is motivated to find the information? How easy or difficult is it to find and use social network information? What harm or good . . . Read More

Security: Who’s in Charge?

Who is responsible for preventing security incidents in your organization? Who is responsible for responding to security incidents in your organization? There are four fundamental questions to address: How are they organized? How are they funded? How are they motivated? What can and can’t they do? Whether your organization has a single responsible “Chief Security . . . Read More

Incident Prevention: Can You See it Coming?

What do we know about incidents before they happen to help us prevent what’s preventable and best respond to incidents that we cannot prevent? There are two fundamental questions that should be addressed for every situation: How does the past predict the future? What are the puzzle pieces that we need to recognize to see . . . Read More